Ebola Gatwick scare: Woman arriving from West Africa dies at airport

SCARE: Many were isolated in the airport away from the suspected ebola traveller [PA]

The passenger became unwell on arrival and was said to be sweating and violently vomiting.

She was taken to hospital immediately but died shortly afterwards.

After showing signs of deadly virus Ebola, the woman was tested.

But the results came back negative.

Dr Brian McCloskey, director of global public health at Public Health England, said: "Yesterday morning a passenger became unwell after disembarking a flight at Gatwick from The Gambia, and sadly died in hospital.

"There was no health risk to other passengers or crew, as the passenger did not have symptoms during the flight. It was considered very unlikely to be a case of Ebola but testing was done as a precaution, and was negative.

"The correct procedures were followed to confirm there was no reason to quarantine the airplane, the passengers or staff.

"PHE can confirm there was no public health risk around the sad death of this individual."

DANGEROUS: The disease has killed more than 800 people [PA]

“The correct procedures were followed to confirm there was no reason to quarantine the airplane”

Dr Brian McCloskey, of Public Health England

Airport staff isolated those at the airport from the woman as the tests were carried out and the aircraft was cleared top to bottom.

A Gatwick spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that a passenger on board a Gambia Bird flight on Saturday August 2 became unwell after disembarking the aircraft, was treated by experienced medical airport staff at the scene but sadly later died at East Surrey Hospital.

"Given the origin of the flight, the hospital carried out tests for Ebola and other infectious diseases as a precaution."

There are still no cases of Ebola in the UK as fears of an outbreak still linger.

So far, the fatal disease has killed more than 800 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in West Africa.

One man died in Nigeria after boarding an international flight from Liberia to Lagos with airlines companies fear the spread of the disease from flying.

CHECKS: Doctors and those dealing with ebola are being throuughly sterilised [EPA]

Ebola has a 90% death rate and this is the largest ever outbreak of the condition.

Last week, British border officials said staff are not trained in how to handle people with the disease if forced to.

Immigration Service Union general secretary Lucy Moreton told BBC Radio 4's The World Tonight programme: "They serve on the front line; they are the first point of contact usually for people coming off an aircraft and the concern is what do they do if they're confronted with someone that doesn't appear well who appears at the border.

"There is no health facility at the border, there is no containment facility and until extremely recently there has been no guidance issued to staff at all as to what they should do."